VEN and HELL, n. 481. Hence it is, that all are known and diftinguifhed as to their real Quality, and immediately feparated, when it is the good Pleafure of the Lord. From what has been faid it alfo appears evident, that the Judgment takes Place in the Spiritual World, and not in the Natural World or on the Earths.

31. That the natural Life of Man is of no Confideration, but his fpiritual Life in the natural, the natural Principle of itself being void of Life; and that the apparent Life therein is from the Life of the fpiritual Mah, confequently that it is this latter which is judged; and that it is alfo the fpiritual Part of Man which is to be judged according to it's Deeds, may be seen in the Treatife on HEAVEN and HELL, under the following Article, That the Condition of Man after Death is according to his past Life in the World, n. 470 to 484.

32. I fhall here add a certain heavenly Arcanum, which indeed is mentioned in the Treatife on HEAVEN and HELL, but not yet defcribed: Every one after Death is bound to, or in Fellowship with, a certain Society, and this immediately on his entering into the Spiritual World, as may be seen in that Work, n. 427 and 497; but a Spirit in it's firft State knows Nothing thereof,

being

being then in it's Externals, and not as yet in Internals. During it's external State, it wanders hither and thither, wherefoever it pleases; but ftill it is actually where it's Love is, that is, in Society with thofe who are in a fimilar Love. While a Spirit is in this State, it appears in many other Places, and alfo every where as if present in Body, but this is only an Appearance; wherefore as soon as ever it is brought by the Lord into it's governing Love, it immediately disappears from the Sight of others, and is among it's like in the Society to which it is bound, or connected with; This is peculiar to the Spiritual World, and a Matter of Astonishment to those who are ignorant of the Caufe. Hence now it is, that as foon as ever Spirits are gathered together, and separated, they are alfo judged, and every one is inftantly fixed in his own Place, the Good in Heaven, and in Society there with their like, and the Evil in Hell, and in Society there with their like. From what has been obferved it may alfo appear manifest, that the Last Judgment can only take place in the Spiritual World, as well because every one there is an Image of his own Life, as because all are affociated together who are in a fimilar Life, confequently every one is in Fellowfhip with his like. It is otherwife in the Natural World, where the Good and the Bad are intermixed; there no one knows the real Quality

of

of another, nor are they feparated from each other according to the Affection of their Life: Befides, it is impoffible for any Man with his natural Body to be either in Heaven or in Hell; wherefore, in Order that Man may enter into one or the other, it is neceffary that he put off his natural Body, and afterwards be judged in his fpiritual Body. Hence it is, as obferved above, that the fpiritual Man is judged, and not the natural.

That

That the Laft Judgment takes Place when the Church is at an End; and that the Church is at an End, when there is no Faith in Confequence of there being no Charity.

33.

3.THERE HERE are many Reafons why the Laft Judgment takes Place, when the Church is at at End; the principal whereof is, because then the Equilibrium betwixt Heaven and Hell begins to be deftroyed, and with the Equilibrium the very Liberty or Freewill of Man; and when this is the Cafe, it is no longer poffible for him to be faved; but he is then from Freedom inclined to Hell, and cannot be led in Freedom to Heaven; for without Freewill no one can be reformed, and all Man's Freewill proceeds from the Equilibrium which fubfifts between Heaven and Hell. That this is the Cafe, may appear evident from the two Articles in the Treatife on HEAVEN and HELL, which treat of the Equilibrium between Heaven and Hell, n. 589 to 596: And that Man's Freewill is from the Equilibrium that fubfifts between Heaven. and Hell, n. 597 to 603; and further, that no one is capable of being reformed unless in a State of Liberty or Freedom.

34. That

34. That the Equilibrium betwixt Heaven and Hell begins to perifh at the End of the Church, may appear from this Confideration, that Heaven and Hell are from Mankind, as may be seen above in it's proper Article; and that when few go to Heaven, but many to Hell, Evil on the one Side increafes beyond Good on the other; for in Proportion as Hell increases, so alfo does Evil; and Man receives all his Evil from Hell, and all his Good from Heaven. As then Evil increases above Good at the End of the Church, therefore all are then judged by the Lord, the Wicked feparated from the Good, all Things reduced to Order, and a New Heaven. established, together with a New Church on the Earths, and thus the Equilibrium is reftored. This now is what is called the Laft Judgment, which will be further described in the following Pages.

35. That the Church is at an End, when there is no longer any Faith within the Church, is known from the Word; but it is not as yet known, that there is no Faith where there is no Charity; wherefore Something fhall now be faid relative to this Subject. That there would be no Faith at the End of the Church, is foretold by the Lord in these Words, "When the Son of Man fhall come, "will be find Faith on the Earth?" Luke xviii. 8:

And

་